Red Converse

Chapter 2: A Cold House

A cold house. It was always cold. I could never remember it not being that way. It was only warm when Aaron was there... but mom didn't let that happen often. Just like she never let us turn the heat on in the house. Dad was gone, never a part of my life. My mom always worked, so even with her best effort, she barely made it home for the holidays. My two older brothers, Brett and DJ, never understood me even though they were around all the time.

My one constant in life as a child was Aaron Walker. He lived two streets away in a creaky old blue house. His mom always welcomed me, no matter what time it was. She was just glad her "little Ronny" had a friend. I would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at that house everyday I could. I would have sleepovers at his house every night that my brothers didn't catch me and drag me back home. His mom pulled me aside once when Aaron and I were both teens and started to cry. Me being an awkward 16-year-old boy panicked and started to cry too. She hugged me, called me her second son, and thanked me for being a light in both her and Aaron's life. I blushed profusely with tears running down my face. I let her hug me and I let myself remember that moment forever.

That cold house that I wish I didn't grow up in was where I was then. I sat in the family room that no one ever used and I stared out at the yard that none of us ever played in. The snow continued to fall, and I hoped that didn't mean I would be blocked into the house that I didn't like calling "home".

"Pete, are you ok there? Man, you've been staring out the window for at least two hours," Brett teased as he slapped his big hand against my back.

"I'm fine," I whispered, suddenly realizing that Aaron wasn't with me.

"You sure don't seem fine. Ma says she'll be home soon, so you better snap out of it so she doesn't worry," my big brother warned as he plopped down on the couch and took up the whole space.

I nodded silently as a reply, and tried to remember where Aaron went after we stood in the snow.

"Is he dead?" my other brother, DJ, asked as he leaned close to my face.

"Hey! David John! We do not mention that word in this household!" my mom scolded angrily as she barged through the front door.

DJ put his hands up in surrender at the sound of his full name.

"Sorry, Ma," DJ apologized quietly as he hurried away into the kitchen with his head down. I was surprised that his six foot tall body could move in such silence.

"How is he?" my mom tried to whisper to Brett.

"Ma, he can hear you." Brett's low voice boomed in the empty house.

"I know that! What's with all the disrespect today?" Ma's face started to turn red with fury, and Brett looked at me for help.

I simply looked back out the window, trying to regain my train of thought. I heard the jumbled, loud words of Brett and Ma arguing. Then, a door slammed shut and ended the shouting completely. Wondering who survived the yelling, I turned and found Ma holding a wooden spoon and glaring at the front door.

Brett lost like he always did.

With her fight finished, Ma turns to me with concerned eyes.

"Honey, how was your day?" she asked in the sweetest voice possible.

"Good, Ma. I'm trying to remember something I forgot," I mumbled as a reply.

"Oh...Well, I'm going to cook dinner," Ma stated as she slipped away to the kitchen.

What's going on? Why are my brothers talking to me? Why is Ma home? Why are we having dinner?

Why can't we say "dead"?

I scrunched my eyebrows together and thought so hard that I got a headache. Then it suddenly came to me. I was looking for Aaron! I jumped up and ran out the door. Ma screamed something behind me, but I was on a mission and there was no turning back. I ran through the piles of snow like there was no tomorrow. I knew where to go... Mama Walker's house.

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"Hey, are you alright?" a voice asked me, but I was in no mood to wake up and answer. "Sir... Sir, please wake up."

I peeked my eyes open slowly and was nearly blinded by the pure, white snow around me.

"He's alive!" a man announced and I heard some cheers, but could still see nothing but white.

I pulled myself up and stumbled forwards, still unable to see anything but snow. I felt arms keep me up, and I thanked them in my head.

"Pete! What the hell are you doing out here?! Where are your shoes?! Why aren't you wearing a coat?!" a very familiar voice hollered at me.

Without warning, I was scooped up in what I knew were Brett's arms.

"Sorry, my brother has experienced some recent shock. Thank you for helping him, but I've got it from here," my brother thanked the crowd that I could finally see.

Brett started to carry me back to the house like I was an injured little boy.

"You can put me down, Brett. I'm ok and I don't need to be carried," I explained as I struggled to escape his tight grip.

"No. Ma wants you--No, we all want you home where you are safe," he grumbled as he avoided eye-contact and held me tight as he continued walking.

"Fine," I gave in, tired of all the running and falling.

Brett sighed and carried me all the way back to the house.

The cold house.